Irish traveller tipped for a big future in music

A mother who impressed Irish crooner Daniel O’Donnell with her singing is hoping to record an album after her video went viral.

The video of traveller Kathleen Keenan busking was viewed by nearly 700,000 people on O’Donnell’s Facebook page.

O’Donnell is currently filming a TV series – Daniel And Majella’s B&B Road Trip – which features a clip of Kathleen and her 14-yaer-old brother Davey busking on Shop Street, Galway.

In what could turn out to be a lucky omen for Kathleen, it was the same place that Ed Sheeran used to sing before his career sky rocketed.

O’Donnell thinks the same thing is possible for Kathleen. He said: “She has a turn in her voice that reminds me of Dolores Keane. Kathleen is such a good singer that she has it to make it to the top.”

Now Kathleen needs to find €2,000 to finish recording her album which was put on hold after her son was born five months ago.

She said: “I did four tracks with just a guitar for the backing and to have a full album I would need to record another eight songs.”

The first four tracks were recorded with Kenny Ralph who also produced many hits for Irish legends the Saw Doctors.

Even the Mayor of Galway Peter Roche has got behind Kathleen. He said: “I first heard her singing at a function for Traveller Pride week in Ballinasloe and this led to a spot on the Keith Finnegan programme on Galway Bay FM which was heard by some talent scout for the Daniel O’Donnell TV show.”

Mr Roche is hoping that a business person will help Kathleen raise the funds for her album before she appears on O’Donnell’s show.

Take a look at the video below.

Daniel and Majella are recording a tv show for UTV Ireland. Here they are in Galway enjoying brother and sister Kathleen and Davy Keenan singing The Homes of Donegal.